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What is the solution?
Legacy is actually not in bad shape, of course. There are a ton of decks getting played, and in fact 20 different archetypes appear among these three top 10 lists, as well as over 40 archetypes appearing over the year. No single deck or strategy is dominating, even if most of the top strategies are fueled by Brainstorm and Force of Will. Something needs to change, but the only cards truly ban-worthy on paper are Brainstorm and Force of Will, both of which continue to get the free pass until compelling evidence is presented to argue otherwise. Brainstorm is definitely on the watch list, despite its untouchable status. Obviously, just about everyone would jump to throw Snapcaster Mage under the bus before it ever came to that, but there is another way.
Time to unban something!
The Legacy banned list features 60 cards, which is a nice round number, but a high one. Maybe the solution to loosening blue's iron grip on the format is to unban something that promotes non-blue decks. Let's take a quick look at the top candidates:
Demonic Consultation
Demonic Consultation is an extremely powerful tutor and can lead to blisteringly fast combo decks, generally based around Tendrils of Agony and rituals. This is potentially troublesome if it actually forces more people to play Force of Will. Another potentially big Demonic Consultation-based strategy is that of aggro-control. Consult has often been excellent in decks like CounterSliver. Would it just help Brainstorm decks?
Although Consult would appear in some Brainstorm decks, as well as some fast combo decks, you have to remember the status quo is 75% blue. Even if half the Consult decks are blue, they could easily lower the total number of Brainstorms and Force of Wills getting played. Consult provides an extremely powerful tool for Junk, a deck that isn't far from being able to compete. Aggro-Loam might use it, and perhaps some sort of B/x aggro deck would emerge. Some Belcher or other fast non-blue combo decks may use it as well.
Why was it banned? It is an extremely powerful tutor, restricted even in Vintage (though to be fair, it is definitely worth considering unrestricting it in Vintage this year). Does it need to stay banned? Maybe not. It does have a steep drawback; it is skill-testing; it goes in a variety of decks; it would actually be good; and it can be fun.
Verdict: Worth strongly considering
Mind Twist
One of the most infamous cards in the game's history, Mind Twist was one of the few cards ever banned in Vintage. Times have changed however, and now it is not only unbanned but unrestricted. Maybe it is time to do the same in Legacy? After all, other than Dark Ritual, what good ways are there to Mind Twist? Using traditional rituals leads to card parity. Ancient Tomb, City of Traitors, and various Moxes are good, but how fast are you really going to be able to Mind Twist anyway? It's not like there is any shortage of free countermagic, and people could always use Misdirection (though admittedly, that is a blue card).
One problem with Mind Twist is that it may not be that good, but if it is, it can get unfun pretty fast. Would Junk use Mind Twist? Would Mind Twist be used exclusively in dedicated "Mind Twist decks?" Would that even be good? That can't possibly be nearly as unfair as Belcher, right? Besides, people could use anti-discard cards if they wanted, as there are plenty of them.
Verdict: Safe, but decent chance that it isn't even that good.
Land Tax
Land Tax is probably the card most requested to be unbanned by Legacy players. Is it finally time? In its favor, it is an extremely powerful card for quite a number of non-blue decks (even if it does go in some blue decks). It promotes basic land usage; it is skill-testing; it is interesting to build around; and the format is so powerful now, it is not like it is even that brutal when it works.
The problems? First of all, tournament organizers have it out for this card. It involves tons of shuffling, increased cheating, and can drag games to a crawl. It is also very powerful in a way that gets not healthy really fast.
I sympathize with the TOs who want their events to run at a reasonable pace and, out of respect for Land Tax's power, have argued against unbanning it on multiple occasions. That said, I think the time has come to give Land Tax a fair examination. Fetchlands, Brainstorming, Jace, Tops, and more leave no shortage of these types of effects in the format. I actually think Land Tax might contribute enough to the format to make up for the mild strain it puts on things. Additionally, the format has gotten so strong, it is actually reasonable to think Land Tax could exist without toppling things. Besides, if nothing else, it can throw a bone to the loyal fans who have been fighting for it for so many years. Additionally, it's not like it couldn't get banned again, if needed. I am not convinced it is the most fun card to unban, but if Consult isn't safe, Land Tax should be considered (Mind Twist is probably a gimme).
Verdict: Probably safe, but the strain it puts on tournament play makes it a longer shot. Worth strongly considering.
Worldgorger Dragon
Another random combo card that isn't actually any better than the other cards that are legal. Even with Entomb legal, it is not clear that this is even better than Reanimator targets like Iona and Jin Gitaxias. Even if it was, graveyard hate exists and is easy. Unfortunately, Worldgorger Dragon decks tend to be blue fast combo decks.
Verdict: Safe, but doesn't do what we are trying to do at all. Should be taken off at some point on principle, but we can do better if we only get to unban one card.
What do you think? Can any of these cards be unbanned? If you could unban one, which would it be? Or do you think Snapcaster Mage or Brainstorm needs to be banned? Legacy is alive and well, so it is not an absolute must that something be changed in March (at least not yet), but the way things are going, I have a suspicion a shake-up is coming...
Patrick Chapin
"The Innovator"
